Six classically trained opera soloists will collaborate with members of the Tulsa Ballet’s Center for Dance Education to perform in concert “Carousel,” a 1945 musical by Rodgers & Hammerstein.
The performance, produced by the nonprofit Will Rogers Stage Foundation, is set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 on the historic Will Rogers Stage at 3909 E. Fifth Place.
All seats are reserved. Tickets are available at WillRogersStage.com.
The cast is headed by American baritone Robert Mellon playing Billy Bigelow and Abigail Raiford, a renowned lyric coloratura soprano, as Julie Jordan.
Mellon has performed in numerous opera houses across the country to much acclaim, including his turn as Taddeo in the 2022 Tulsa Opera production of Rossini’s “The Italian Girl in Algiers.”
Raiford earned acclaim in the same production for her portrayal of Elvira. She was a runner-up this year in the prestigious Laffont Competition of the Metropolitan Opera and debuted at Carnegie Hall. She was raised in Tulsa by two opera performers who had careers in New York.
“Abby’s mother, Judy Raiford, heads the University of Tulsa music department and was her mentor,” said Dick Risk, the show’s producer. “This is a homecoming for Abby.”
The cast also includes several local performers who are known to Tulsa audiences: Sam Briggs (as Enoch Snow), Margaret Stall (Carrie Pipperidge), Christiaan Bester (Jigger Craigin) and Maddie Breedlove (Nettie Fowler).
Dancer Jaelynn Autry will be featured as Louise Bigelow and Jose Maria Herrera Cuevas as the principal male dancer. Gloria Friend plays Louise’s non-dancing counterpart. Paxton Schuler is Enoch Snow Jr. and Aubree Esau is his younger sister. All three are Tulsa-area students with acting and singing experience.
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Cathy Venable, who spent more than a decade in New York as a pit musician and conductor on Broadway, is music director and will conduct the 34-piece Will Rogers Stage Orchestra.
Said Venable: “The Will Rogers Stage production of ‘Carousel’ gives our audience the unique opportunity to hear this glorious music the way it was originally intended to be performed and enjoyed, with a live orchestra presenting the full orchestration, supporting our singing artists.”
What does it mean for a musical to be performed “in concert”?
“It means the show is presented in a simplified, often stripped-down format compared to a full theatrical production,” Risk said. “Concert performances usually have very basic sets. Primary focus is on the musical numbers, with less emphasis on acting and elaborate choreography.
“Despite the minimal staging, performers still act out the emotions of the script. Actors often read from scripts, which can be a creative choice or a necessity due to limited rehearsal time and a short run.”
Continuing, Risk said: “Because of our relatively small, historic 1939 stage, we could not have accommodated our orchestra, chorus, and soloists — plus a ballet. So we moved the 34-piece orchestra in front of the stage, fully visible to the audience, making room for the ballet. We define our scenes with artwork projected onto a cyclorama.”
An ensemble from the Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education will appear as a touring carnival troupe: gypsy dancers, Arabian dancers, Chinese acrobats and strong men.
Lauren Richter, director of the center, will produce the ballet set to the music in the score, which Agnes DeMille choreographed for the original 1945 production. She trained in New York with American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and in Monte Carlo at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance.
Matteo Giulio Tonolo, originally from Moncalieri, Italy, will choreograph the ballet. His touring experience includes performances across Europe, the United States and China.
Stage director Ben Robinson heads three arts organizations including Anchorage Opera. He has been recognized for his creative approach to his productions.
“‘Carousel’ is our most ambitious production to date,” Risk said. “We hope its success will repeat itself as we bring other Golden Era musicals to life.”
“Carousel” was named the best musical of the 20th century by Time magazine.
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Jimmie Tramel
Tulsa World Scene Reporter
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